In the hours that followed the latest trade of the century Tuesday night, giddiness spread across Canada. Understandably so. After three years of waiting for wonder-boy general manager Alex Anthopoulos to make a move, he made one that seemingly was worth the wait.

Just like that, the Toronto Blue Jays added two proven starters (Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson), one of the game’s top shortstops (Jose Reyes) and one of the more underrated players (Emilio Bonifacio). Put them with Jose Bautista, Brett Lawrie and Edwin Encarnacion and find these guys an experienced manager, and it is look out AL East.

But as the initial wave of euphoria eases, it is time for the skeptics to emerge. Upon further scrutiny, Canada could be asking, “Is this it? You spend $160 million-plus for little more than two starters who could be on the downside of their careers, a shortstop with finicky legs and a catcher who hit .192?”

Remember, if these hotshots had performed as expected, the Miami Marlins wouldn’t have needed to become such an embarrassment (though, given their history, it figured to be only a matter of time).

Well, if this blockbuster didn’t boost Toronto into favorite status in the AL East, it brought it a few steps closer. Whether Canada’s long wait truly will pay dividends will depend on how these questions are answered:

Can Reyes stay healthy?

Overlooked in the Marlins’ mess of 2012 was that after three consecutive injury-marred seasons, Reyes missed only two games. The Blue Jays could be better served sitting him two games a month. The move to artificial turf might be tough on Reyes’ troublesome hamstrings, not to mention the rest of his legs. Reyes has played only 15 games on artificial turf his entire career. He could play that many in some months in Toronto.

Will Bautista’s left wrist be 100 percent?

With more than five months to recover, Bautista is expected to be fine for spring training after September surgery to stabilize a tendon in his left wrist. There is cause for concern, though, because of the tremendous stress Bautista places on his wrists with a swing that is one of the hardest in the game. Bautista was limited to 92 games in 2012 but still hit 27 homers.

Can Ricky Romero rebound?

When sizing up the team’s beefed-up rotation, do you look at Romero as the guy who finished 2011 with a 2.92 ERA or the guy who finished 2012 with a 5.77 ERA, the worst among all qualifying major league starters? If he returns to form, the 28-year-old lefthander can be one of the top five starters in the division. If he doesn’t, well, the Blue Jays still aren’t certain of having a legitimate ace.

Romero’s No. 1 problem was a loss of command. He averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings while his strikeouts dropped. Perhaps his problem was trying to pitch at considerably less than 100 percent. Soon after the season, Romero had cleanup surgery on his left elbow and plasma treatment on both knees. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

Will Johnson pitch like it is early 2011?

Similar to Romero, Johnson hasn’t been big on consistency in the past two seasons. For a stretch early in 2011, he took a turn as the NL’s top starter. Then shoulder woes derailed his season, and he still is seeking to regain his previous dominance.

Johnson’s chances of returning to elite status should improve simply because he will be another year removed from injury. His fastball should offer a clue. Johnson averaged 92.8 mph in 2012, down more than 2 mph from 2010, according to fangraphs.com.

Can Casey Janssen close when it counts?

Janssen isn’t an overpowering closer, but he was an effective one after taking over when Sergio Santos went out with a shoulder injury. But finishing wins for a fourth-place club in September is easier than closing for a contender. Santos can’t be counted on for much, either, since he is coming back from labrum surgery.

How will the division respond?

The Blue Jays picked an opportune time to make their splash. The Boston Red Sox are picking up the pieces from their dreadful 2012, and the New York Yankees are aging and talking about reducing payroll.

But that was before. The Yankees might not take kindly to a division opponent stealing the offseason thunder, and the Red Sox don’t want to be left too far behind. Both clubs could end up spending more than they were planning just two days ago. They certainly won’t be spending less.